Thursday 13 February 2020

Covid-19 virus update, 13 February

Huge spike in new cases
From Worldometer

Wow. Big spike in new cases. Makes you wonder if there’d been underreporting before.  
Or…what’s going on?
Well… (a bit later), it turns out it’s a change in diagnostic criteria. They didn’t have enough test kits to confirm all cases, and so…
“From today on, we will include the number of clinically diagnosed cases into the number of confirmed cases so that patients could receive timely treatment,” the health authority said in a statement, which did not provide further details about the new criteria.
Hmmm… the article ends “more to follow”. Like: what about the spike in deaths?
While Beijing clamps down
Hong Kong school closures extend beyond March 2. Lucky parents …
US consulate staff in Hong Kong head home. But expatriates “not panicking
WHO praises China response.  Then again, US experts criticise WHO
April’s annual China Sea yacht race HK to the Philippines is cancelled. Also Hong Kong's famous Rugby Sevens postponed
Virus impact on Australia economy “could be huge
Incubation period remains uncertain
Talking of Uber. As I was yesterday